Fishing in the South Atlantic is not just big business, it is a risky
business too as far as the ecosystem is concerned. The point was brought
home to me very clearly at a recent meeting of the All Party Latin-American
Group of MPs. The handful of MPs present were entertaining ambassadors from
Latin America, and I was struck by their real ecological knowledge and concern
– none more so that Luis Alberto Sole-Romeo, the Uruguayan ambassador.

Sole-Romeo believes that the entire South Atlantic ecosystem between
30 degrees South and 55 degrees South is being developed to such an extent
that fisheries are in real danger of overexploitation. After the meeting,
he wrote me a memorandum outlining the problems as Uruguay sees them. One
of these seems to be that no one is getting together to discuss overfishing:

‘Logic tells us that if the fishing is to benefit the many countries
and islands of the South Atlantic, it is in the interests of all involved
to maintain joint criteria respecting the protection and preservation of
the species in the best possible conditions, in order to guarantee good
fishing for the whole area.’

The logic is impeccable. The Falklands should no longer present an insuperable
impediment: ‘Now that this conflict has concluded or has at least been postponed,
Uruguay feels it is the right time for a multilateral consideration of the
subject within an open and civilised attitude.’

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Quite. Yet last month a proposed scientific conference in Montevideo
to discuss such problems was mysteriously cancelled. In my opinion, this
is short-sighted, and it is high time that we did get together with the
South American states – and not in the spirit of the recent England v Argentina
football match either (let alone that of the Falklands War).

* * *

In the outbuildings – for such Number 1 and Number 2 Bridge Street are
– of the Houses of Parliament there is a beautiful mahogany-railed staircase,
with excellent wrought-iron work. Those who want to save the rainforest
ought to save the stair.

Tim Yeo, from the Department of the Environment, is evasive: ‘Design
work has not yet started (on the New Parliamentary Building) so it is too
soon to say whether the staircase can be used in the new building or should
be removed for use elsewhere.’

Parliament ought to set an example.

* * *

Carlo Ripa di Meana, the European Commissioner for the Environment,
is one of the characters of Brussels – colourful and political. But I wondered
about his idea for a green police force. At the Department of Environment,
David Trippier is a bit cool towards the idea:

‘The idea of a supranational inspectorate within the European Community
has of course been raised before. But we have yet to see any proposals from
the Commission along these lines . . . But the immediate priority must be
to get the agreed European Environment Agency up and running . . .

‘So far as the wider international field is concerned, whatever ideas
Commissioner Ripa may have for a UN corps of ‘Green Helmets’ are as yet
unclear. It is certain that any such proposal would be highly controversial,
not least for the developing countries, but we will of course listen to
this and any other ideas for securing better enforcement of, and wider participation
in, international environmental mental agreements.’